Brighton Fringe Review: CHIN WANG: WANG'S REPUBLIC, Rotunda Theatre Brighton: Squeak

“Flowers or vegetables? Pale skin or tan skin? Sesquipedalian or no big words?”

Chin Wang: Wang’s Republic begins with Wang filling out an online form, the site projected onto a screen behind her. The first question? “What’s your country or region?” It’s a strange question, and anyone who has lived in a different country can definitely relate to Wang’s confusion. Is it the country you’re currently in? Is it the country you were born in? Is it the country your family comes from? What even is a region versus a country, anyway?

Wang has been living in the United Kingdom for ten years now, having been born and raised in China, staying there until she was eighteen and then moving to London. But, even after living in the UK for so long, she feels as though she is still stuck between two cultures, trying to figure out her own identity in a world that feels like you have to choose.

Wang begins by discussing the English language and how confusing it is, giving the example of how “horrible” and “terrible” mean the same thing but “horrific” and terrific” mean the opposite thing from one another - a valid point I hadn’t thought of before! There is also a great bit on the meaning of profanity and how useless definitions can be when they use big words to describe big words. 

Continuing with the theme of differences in culture, Wang discusses her boyfriend, a white British man who has taught her a lot about cultural differences. While she grew up in a culture where people do whatever they can to be as pale as possible, he, a pale man himself, is always trying to get tanner, standing outside in the sun as Wang watches, observing him like a rotisserie chicken in the oven. 

Along with personal anecdotes, Wang spends quite a bit of time on the differences in food between China and the UK, comparing the hot pot to the meal deal or, as it’s called in China, “white people food.” She brings up a story that went viral a few years ago in which several Chinese students were hospitalised for eating daffodils as they thought they were garlic chives. But it’s not their fault - the daffodils were in the vegetable section, unlabeled and looked just like garlic chives. I would have made the same mistake! The use of the daffodil story (and the daffodil itself) as a metaphor is sweet and does a great job of combining the two worlds that Wang appears to be trapped between. 

The show ends with Wang and the audience creating the titular “Wang’s Republic,” as Wang goes through a list she has found of how to become a country, which includes claiming land, establishing a permanent population, establishing a government, creating a constitution and gaining international recognition, which leads to a fantastic callback to truly does a great job of summing up the show as a whole. 

Chin Wang: Wang’s Republic is a delightful show, especially for those who have struggled with their identity as an immigrant in a country they want to call home. 

Chin Wang: Wang’s Republic ran on 1 and 2 June at Rotunda Theatre Brighton: Squeak.

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